UK Sword Register

No. 58

Type:    Gendai wakizashi

Nagasa: 33.4 cm                    Moto-haba: 2.9 cm                 Saki-haba: 2.5 cm

Sugata:             Broad hira-zukuri almost muzori (no curvature but very slightly saki-zori., iroi-mune, approx 2.5 cm of ubu-ha in the machi area.

Jihada:              Ko-itame hada but almost muji-hada with ji-nie

Hamon:             Gunome-choji-midare in nie-deki, ara-nie. Long and thick ashi in nioi, midare-komi boshi in ko-maru with kaeri.

Nakago:            Ubu, ha-agari kiri-jiri, one irregular mekugi-ana, slightly sujikai kiri yasurime, signed on the omote; SHUMPUKAN, MUNEMITSU.

This wakizashi  has a very sturdy construction which together with its length at first glance may cause one to think that it may be sunobi tanto of the Nambokucho period. This might be further enforced by the relative shortness of the nakago compared to the rest of the blade, often seen in Nambokucho period work. However, when considering other points, such as the very tight jihada, the fullness of the fukura of the kissaki and the thick kasane, as well as its overall weight, then one is forced to the conclusion that it is much later and possibly shinshinto. However, the short ubu-ha and the almost clean and fresh looking nakago, indicate that it is almost certainly gendaito, which is further confirmed by the freshness and depth of the inscription.

The hamon, being gunome-choji midare is an indication that the blade is in Bizen-den and possibly the swordsmith was inspired by the work of the 14^th century swordsmith, Kanemitsu of Bizen Osafune who made blades in the Soden style (a combination of Soshu-den and Bizen-den). There are many large and coarse nie, called ara-nie, to be seen in the wide habuchi, although the thick ashi are in nioi. There is also a sprinkling of nie in the jihada.

Unusually for a 20^th century swordsmith, this Munemitsu signed with a simple two character mei. I am unsure exactly which swordsmith this is, it could be Kobayashi Munemitsu who could trace  his artistic heritage back to the Bizen Yokoyama school that was particularly active during shinshinto times, via his teacher Uragami Munekage (a pupil of the last Sukesada). Alternatively, another Munemitsu studied under Sakurai Masatsugu, who was himself a pupil of Koyama Munestugu. Of course, both of these would be strongly influenced by Bizen-den.

On the nakago, above the swordsmith’s name, is the additional inscription Shumpukan, which translated means the hall of the spring wind. It is unclear exactly to what this refers in this inscription, but it would seem most likely to be the name given to the sword. Shumpukan is a highly emotive name in Japanese martial culture and comes from a poem which describes the cutting action of a sword “like lightning flashing in the spring wind”. The name Shumpukan was the name of the famous kendo dojo of the great Bakamatsu and Meiji period swordsman and statesman, Yamaoka Tesshu and today many kendo and iai-do dojo throughout the world, inspired by Tesshu, bear the name. It was also the name of a Kamikaze unit during the Pacific War, as well as a number of Japanese shopping precincts today!

Clive Sinclaire, Bexley, June 2002

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